Differentiated Pay

State Minimum Salary Schedules

In June 2013, the State Board of Education passed a revised set of guidelines pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. §49-3-306(h), which requires districts to create and implement differentiated pay plans. The intent of the differentiated pay plans is to give local control to districts in regard to salary schedule, and to create another lever for districts to attract and retain teachers based on a flexible set of potential criteria.

We are not making any changes to our differentiated pay plan. Do we still have to fill out the template?

Yes. Please complete the differentiated pay plan template, 2015-16 implementation update, and 2016-17 salary schedule. Ideally, districts are reflecting on the implementation of the prior year’s plans and using the district Human Capital Data Reports to refine plans over time. We encourage districts to revisit their plans each year.

Do we need to submit any supporting documents (e.g., job descriptions for additional roles or bonus eligibility requirements)?

Supporting documents are not required, but feel free to include additional information about the district’s differentiated pay plan as needed. This reduces the chance that we will have to contact your district and request additional information which slows the approval process.

What is an alternative salary schedule?

An alternative salary schedule utilizes other components, often performance criteria, in addition to or in place of education and experience to determine base pay increases.

We want to make changes to our plan but are not sure where to start. What next steps can we take?

The website contains a plethora of resources, including existing districts plans from across the state. Please contact the Educator Talent team at Compensation.Questions@tn.gov so that we can assist your district team in developing the plan.

My district currently has an alternative salary schedule. Do we need to submit additional documentation or get the schedule reapproved?

Yes. All districts must complete the differentiated pay plan template and implementation update as well as submitting a copy of your alternative salary schedule for 2016-17. If the district is making changes, please contact the Educator Talent team at Compensation.Questions@tn.gov so that we can determine if the change will require approval from the State Board of Education.

We would like more information about an alternative salary schedule. Where can we get this information?

The website contains a plethora of resources, including existing districts plans from across the state. Please contact the Educator Talent team at Compensation.Questions@tn.gov so that we can assist your district team in developing the plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the differentiated pay plan policy a new policy?

State law [T.C.A § 49-3-306(h)], adopted by the General Assembly in 2007, already requires school districts to adopt and implement differentiated pay plans to aid in staffing hard to staff subject areas and schools and attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers. However, this law has never been enforced. Beginning in the 2014-15 school year, the department will begin to enforce this law, and the increased flexibility provided by the new salary schedule will assist districts in meeting this requirement.

Does the differentiated pay plan policy mandate pay for performance?

The differentiated pay plan policy does not mandate pay for performance. However, the revised differentiated pay plan policy prevents districts from basing across-the-board pay increases solely on years of experience or advanced degrees. Districts must differentiate teacher compensation based on at least one additional criterion. Differentiated pay criteria can include any of the following: additional roles or responsibilities, hard-to-staff schools or subject areas, and performance based on State Board approved teacher evaluation criteria.

The department reached out to the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) to get further guidance on this issue. TCRS stated that TCA § 8-34-101(14)(B)(i)(b) dealing with “Earnable Compensation” governs this issue. If the bonus is available to all teachers (even though it may be up to the teacher to qualify for the actual funds) or if the bonus is offered to a broad class of employees (such as math teachers), then the bonus should be reported to TCRS and employee/employer contributions withheld. The bonus will be included in the calculation of retirement benefits if within the average final compensation (AFC).

Who approves differentiated pay plans?

According to T.C.A § 49-3-306(h), the Tennessee Department of Education has approval authority of the differentiated pay plans.

What guidelines are used to approve differentiated pay plans?

The department approves differentiated pay plans based on the criteria listed in theState Board policy.